Research paper writing guide: being logical

A research paper involves a lot of research, as its name suggests. This can be a problem for many students who are thinkers that are more abstract. Being logical and factual in an essay doesn’t have to be that hard, though. All you need to do is focus on the concrete evidence and sources and leave all opinions and feelings out of it. If you catch yourself starting to write something that you think, delete it quickly and replace it with a fact of some sort. During the research paper writing process, you’ll likely have a bad first draft and then have to edit out emotion and opinion blunders afterwards.

Writing a good research paper really depends on the extent of your research. Look everywhere you can for good solid, facts and proven techniques related to your topic. Here are a few good places to start looking:

Both your public and school libraries

Your class textbook

Talking to your teacher and classmates

Look up professionals in your city that are working in an industry related to your topic and interview them about their job and education

Search online for journal and news articles

Use trusted government websites

Online encyclopaedias and other sites that source their sources are a gold mine for even more research without much work on your part

Writing a Logical Research Paper

Once you’re done with your research, it’s time to write. Start this by creating an outline. During your reading, you probably gained a good overall knowledge surrounding your topic that you can use to write off the top of your head. Jot down a few sentences for what you want in each body paragraph, your introduction, thesis, and conclusion. Follow the instructions from your teacher at all stages during the writing, to make sure that you will be marked on what matters most.

Now, take that outline and fill in all the facts. Which statistics should go in which paragraph, and what quote will you be using to start the introduction, or end the conclusion? Put your research in first and then write between facts to connect ideas and give smooth transitions. Remember to keep any thoughts and emotions out of this; you want it to be logical and steeped in the raw facts. Keep going back to reread your research and further refresh your mind with the material as you are writing each section.